Soon after the wild interaction by the heart of Helovia, Zahra and her younger sisters had slipped into the relative solitude offered by the deep forest – one which had sheltered them through the hottest months, and shielded them safely through the recently rumoured rift. Still the burden of embellished silver preyed upon her mind, and weighed terribly across her still small frame, but she was relieved nonetheless to have its familiarity there; one of the few constants their nomadic lifestyle had retained. Often she thought of the flames and the freedom they offered, wondering just whether the right decision had been made. She craved freedom – to sever the chains binding her to the past, and to be rid of the cruel paranoia that seemed always to bring harmless shadows to life around them.

The dim, dank shade lay thick all around them, rich soil moist and cool beneath each belly, and slung between the rough, old wood surrounding were glittering silk curtains; webs above, throughout the canopy to form a rather distinct ceiling. The curious room had taken the crafty spider mere days to construct, and dancing upon many of the threads as the small dewy breeze passed by, were puny corpse decorations – countless victims, spawned from the golden-bellied’s still developing magic. Illam, slipped between these on silent toes, tending and re-wrapping those which were still living to manage their freshness (even despite the endless supply available). Beneath the rather morbid display, Pegasus and Kitsune dozed peacefully.

The tranquil silence of their forest sanctuary only helped to fuel the dreams that quickly infiltrated Zahra’s slumber, and she found herself stumbling out through a wilderness similar; the stench of pine lost amid the festering litter of the left behind reality. Always during these vivid journeys, she made a point to check herself – to conclude whether or not she was herself or her mother, and predictably she found the dark knees of the perished mare striking boldly forward. The young girl was timid in comparison, caught between realities and never really certain what or who to trust; the wandering life which had stunted the evolvement of her character did not help. There were others scattered between the trees as she passed quickly between, but they seemed not to heed her, the never seemed to notice.

‘Boys!’ one cried suddenly, causing both her stride and the illusion to falter. Zahra twitched where she lay, confused, lost, until the cool wet nose of the roused Kitsune called her to wake.

The strange voice (it wasn’t unfamiliar) peeled through the air again, and the yearling lifted from the comfortable earth to rest forequarters across elbows – a tentative posture. Pale gaze shifted cautiously to Ilham whose lofty position could see further afield and they narrowed with concern as the tiny, young arachnid perched frozen there in place. With a soft grunt Zahra heaved herself into a standing position and the collar slumped down behind the pitch of her trembling dark-dappled withers. Outside, all again seemed quiet and the girl slowly lead her four-tailed sibling out into the shadowy world beneath the trees.

There was no movement nearby to draw their attention, and after a moment spent dithering and hesitating, Hanna stepped forward with twitching nostril’s trained to the air – she guided them in turn, towards a small and quite unusual gathering. “Asha?” Zahra whispered in astonishment, a little louder than expected. Certainly she had not for one second predicted his appearance, so far from life and commotion – and he was not the slender, broken young creature once beheld. Time had served him well, she thought privately, examining a fuller figure through the branches, a careful but unpremeditated distance away. The kitsune too remembered him and withheld the trademark growl which seemed ever present during any unexpected encounters. Quietly delighted, she noted the garment too which she had crafted for him too many months ago to count. It was tattier than she recalled (maybe a trick of the obscure light) – but not at all beyond repair.

do you live for the summer or spring?
because you don't feel like winter to me
you came through this town like a breeze
do you live for the summer or spring?